Isaiah 60:2, commentary and pictures

For behold, deep spiritual and moral darkness lies over the earth and over its peoples, while in contrast the Lord rises in glory upon His own people and His glory is seen upon them. That darkness is sin and iniquity, error and deception, unbelief and apostasy, with multitudes far from Christ and ignorant of God's true character. That rising glory is Christ Himself, the Light of the world and Sun of Righteousness, whose character, presence, and truth shine through blameless lives to pierce the darkness. Therefore the verse charges God's church to arise and shine because its light has come, entering into revival, reformation, and earnest missionary work at home and abroad until the darkness recedes. It describes the darkness before Christ's first coming, is true of the present time, and describes the deepening darkness just before His second coming, when amid final crisis His faithful will shine more brightly as lights to draw the nations.

Darkness Covering Earth

The verse describes spiritual darkness and gross, deep darkness covering the earth and covering the people. While that darkness lies upon the world, the Lord rises upon His church, His people, Zion, and those who know the truth, and His glory is seen upon them and shines through them. That light draws Gentiles to it and kings to the brightness of its rising, gathering sons from far and daughters to the side. It is a glorious promise to be fulfilled, to be kept in mind with enlarged faith and expectation, and it charges those churches to get up and shine because their light has come, so that against surrounding darkness the Lord's presence becomes visible. The call applies to God's people now: the Spirit of Christ rests on those who walk humbly with God, and their personal piety and good works let His light shine before others amid widespread ignorance of the saving message.

The darkness is moral darkness covering earth and people, including iniquity, sin, evil, transgression, disobedience, moral pollution, disease and death, and a world apostatized to Satan's side since the fall. It is constant moral darkness, a pervasive principle that gathers and spreads like leaven, not an accident or merely a feature of the moral condition. Against it Christ is the light: those who follow Him and His Word do not walk in darkness, while those who follow their own ideas contrary to God's Word remain in it. The fear and love of God have almost left the world and evils prevail on every hand, with multitudes living in error through delusions.

The darkness is error, delusion, deception, false doctrines, heresies, superstition, falsehood, and Satanic deceptions that mislead people. It is spiritual darkness and gross darkness in the form of error, infidelity, apostasy and unbelief covering earth and people in the present time. Error and delusion spread around believers and darken earth and people, while the Lord's glory shines upon His people who must live near God to receive light and glory from Jesus and become grounded to defend truth from Scripture. In the final conflict Satan's deceptions deepen, yet the Lord will display converting power through the Holy Spirit and the gospel will go with power bringing many to conversion.

The darkness is infidelity, apostasy, unbelief, skepticism about Scripture, opposition to God's plain Word, exaltation of human reason, human theories, and being wise above a Thus saith the Lord. It is pretended illumination and supposed knowledge of truth that is really blind presumption, idolatrous exaltation of mere human reason above revealed wisdom, and baleful unbelief found in every land and permeating all ranks, taught freely in universities, colleges, high schools, common schools and nurseries. Thousands of professed Christians follow lying spirits, and the spirit of darkness in the garb of religion confronts every seeker after truth. Skepticism and disbelief question Scripture's truth, and human reasoning and imagination undermine its inspiration so clear truth is obscured by uncertainty, a marked sign of the last days. Human wisdom puts mists and fogs around minds producing ignorance and misconception of God so light from the Father of light is not discerned, seen in self-exalting human invention, worship of human works as supposed improvement on God's plans, and worldly churches unable to see a Thus saith the Lord for the Seventh-day Sabbath because wise in their own conceits.

The darkness lies over the world like a funeral pall, constant, pervading and overshadowing the whole world, a principle and element that like evil leaven gathers to itself every property it can assimilate. It means multitudes are far from Christ, wandering in the wilderness of sin as strangers from the covenant of promise. Many go down unwarned into darkness and death without preparation for the future life, in widespread sin and separation from Christ. Because the Lord is coming soon and judgments are already in the land, unceasing activity is called for to warn multitudes and prepare them.

The darkness means people do not know God, misrepresent His character, worship a false god, trust in anything rather than God, and have minds clouded by Satan and by human mists. Satan seeks to cloud minds and hearts to keep people from God, and the covering rests upon them when they trust anything or anyone rather than God. Satan's misrepresentations have led many to worship a false god bearing Satan's character, while the Lord's glory revealed through Jesus, the Light of the world, removes darkness and exposes truth about God's character. Sin is darkness that loses knowledge of God and misrepresents Him through false teachings; Christ came as the world's light but darkness did not comprehend Him, as the Jewish rulers' rejection of His words illustrates. Human pride and reliance on human wisdom deepen this ignorance and misconception so the light coming from God is not discerned.

The darkness is seen when Christ is eclipsed and those entrusted with souls deny Him by words, methods, and actions. It is moral and spiritual darkness covering earth and people, present precisely in that denial by soul-entrusted workers. The darkness is deeper and intensified in crowded cities, where spiritual darkness covering earth grows deeper in crowded centers of population. There is found the greatest impenitence and greatest need, with millions living under impending doom and many with no thought of God and heaven. Yet mingled with them are many longing for light and purity of heart, and even among the careless and indifferent some whose attention can be arrested by a revelation of God's love for the soul, giving soul-winners some of the greatest opportunities and calling servants to wholehearted work to win souls.

The darkness includes daily suppression of God's truth for human theories and false doctrines, plans and movements to enslave consciences of those loyal to God, and lawmaking powers set against God's commandment-keeping people. Enemies suppress truth and promote a false Sabbath, deepening moral darkness, while the world pursues evil as though righteousness and error as though truth and sin as though holiness. It is a time of widespread error when evil is pursued as righteousness, falsehood as truth, and sin as holiness, in which God's peculiar commandment-keeping people must not be asleep or silent as if paralyzed but remain alert and speak for truth. At Christ's first advent this foretold darkness was spiritual darkness settling over the religious world almost universal and complete, so that truth looking down from heaven could discern nowhere the reflection of her image. It came because scribes and Pharisees professed to explain Scriptures but explained them by their own ideas and traditions, with customs and maxims becoming more exacting until in its spiritual sense the sacred Word became to the people as a sealed book closed to comprehension, with tradition and human interpretation hiding truth and unbelief keeping people from heavenly treasures. That condition proclaimed in heavenly courts the urgent necessity of a Teacher sent from God in whom divinity and humanity would be united, requiring Christ to appear in human form and stand at the head of the race with divinity and humanity working unitedly to uplift fallen beings, since only thus could God be revealed; Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, opened the book of divine instruction and brought pure truth to roll back darkness and counter error, His light sent to enlighten every person and shining like a light in a dark place to seekers of prophetic truth, the great Teacher foretold by prophecy whose words would demand attention.

Lord Arising in Glory

In sharp contrast to the darkness, the Lord arises upon His church, upon His people, upon Zion, and upon those who know the truth, and His glory is seen upon them and shines through them. This rising of glory upon them is set against a world covered in spiritual darkness and gross darkness upon the peoples, so that His presence becomes visible amid widespread ignorance of the saving message. It is a glorious promise to be fulfilled, to be kept in mind with enlarged faith and expectation, and it carries the charge to arise and shine because the light has come. The spirit of Christ rests on those who walk humbly with God, and their personal piety and good works let His light shine before others.

That glory is His character, His presence, His light, and the light of truth revealed in blameless, sincere, righteous lives. The church is the repository of gospel truth and the agency through which God’s light shines in clear, distinct rays, sending heavenly light into moral darkness rather than becoming bodies of darkness through selfishness and defilement. Christ calls His followers to shine to minds darkened by sin, revealing God’s character, and young men and young women with Bible in hand are to be His light-bearers entering new places for evangelical soul-saving.

Christ Himself is that light and glory: the Sun of Righteousness risen, the Light of the world and the Light of men, the outshining of the Father’s glory, whose brightness draws attention to Him. Against constant moral darkness that gathers and spreads like leaven and lies over the world like a funeral pall, those who follow Him and His Word do not walk in darkness, while those who follow their own ideas contrary to God’s Word remain in it. Anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, He did good and brought healing, deliverance, and freedom, and His victory over Satan opens the way for the message of hope and mercy to reach the heathen throughout the earth.

He came to penetrate the darkness, roll back its cloud, and break Satan’s hold on minds fixed and chained to earthly things, bringing the prospect of immortality and the restoration of God’s moral image. Sent as a Teacher who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, He revealed the truth of heaven and the glory of God amid moral darkness in Judea and the world, where superstition and human traditions had obscured God’s truth despite possession of God’s words. His disciples are to make that heavenly light visible and preserve the knowledge of God through lives shaped by His character and guided by God’s word, letting heaven’s light shine steadily.

That risen light draws the Gentiles to it and kings to the brightness of its rising, gathering sons from far and daughters to the side and enlarging the community as people from distant places and other nations gather to it. The light given to Zion is to be seen by others, and God’s chosen people called out of darkness show His praise as a witness amid the darkness. The wise men from the Gentile world guided to Christ, worshipping Him and bringing gifts, show this fulfillment, with Gentiles coming to His light and kings to the brightness of His rising.

The light to which the Gentiles come and the brightness of rising to which kings come is Christ Himself rising upon His people, preaching the gospel to the poor and manifesting judgment and truth to the nations with invincible power and authority as the distinguished Teacher predicted in Isaiah 60:1-3. As light once went forth from Zion, so truth shone from Wittenberg through Luther’s teaching and spread to distant countries.

Timing and Prophetic Fulfillment

The verse describes the condition before Christ's first coming, when moral and spiritual darkness covered the world and its people, including Judea though it possessed God's words, because superstition, human traditions and Satan kept men from knowing God and the future world. Multitudes then lived under the shadow of death amid general gloom of iniquity, moral pollution, disease and death abounding everywhere, yet hoping the gloom would be lifted and God revealed. Into that darkness God sent Jesus as Teacher, the Way, the Truth and the Life, whose authority and power brought heaven's truth and in whom the light of God's glory shone, while His disciples were as cheering, guiding rays making plain the dangers in the sinner's pathway and revealing to darkened understanding the pathway of truth and holiness.

The same darkness is true now, lying over the world like a funeral pall, not as accident but as a constant, pervading principle and element that like evil leaven gathers to itself every property it can assimilate and overshadows all. It is present spiritual and gross darkness in the form of error, infidelity, apostasy and unbelief, in which the fear and love of God have almost left the world, evils prevail on every hand, and multitudes live in error through delusions of a faithless generation. That prevailing spirit is pretended illumination and supposed knowledge that is really blind presumption, opposition to the plain word of God, idolatrous exaltation of mere human reason above revealed wisdom, and baleful unbelief in every land permeating all ranks, taught freely in universities, colleges, high schools, common schools and nurseries, followed by thousands of professed Christians after lying spirits, with the spirit of darkness in garb of religion confronting every seeker after truth. Those who follow Christ the light of the world do not walk in this darkness, while those who follow their own ideas contrary to the Word remain in it, and those who know the truth, ministers and lay members, bear the responsibility to impart entrusted truth as light-bearers amid this degenerate age, proclaiming the glad tidings that a Saviour gave His life so all who repent and believe should not perish but have everlasting life, with every obstacle removed by opening His Word and presenting the plain Thus saith the Lord in contrast with error. While deep darkness lies over earth and people the Lord's glory has risen upon His church that knows the truth, calling it to get up and shine by carrying the work in God's ordained way, sustaining poverty-stricken foreign missions instead of using all means on defective expensive Chicago slum work and medical work the world would do, never separating the health-restorative gospel from ministry of the Word after Christ's example, and staying awake to prepare for His second coming.

The verse also describes deep spiritual darkness before Christ's second coming, including widespread error, deception, apostasy and sinful indulgence, when many are far from Christ wandering in the wilderness of sin as strangers from the covenant of promise, going down unwarned into darkness and death without preparation for the future life. Because He is coming soon and His judgments are already in the land, unceasing activity is called for to warn multitudes and prepare them, and amid that last-days darkness the Lord's light shines to dispel gloom from sinful indulgence and lessen evils from intemperate eating and drinking. In that darkness the Lord will arise upon His people and His glory, His character, will be seen in them as His light shines through their lives.

The prophecy is being fulfilled through mission stations and missionaries carrying the light of truth into heathen regions without it and guiding seekers to it, while God's glory and righteousness prevail over the world covered in spiritual darkness under Satan's rule. Truth taking root in Saratov as an outpost from which it may reach millions beyond shows believers should prize the light and let it shine to bring people out of darkness.

Israel had been separated from the world and entrusted as depositaries of the law to preserve knowledge of God among men, that through them heaven's light should shine to dark places with appeal to all peoples to turn from idolatry to serve the living true God, exalted above all nations as example of the superiority of His government, a power in the world with God as defense had they been true. They broke the covenant and followed idolatrous practices, holding the Creator's name to contempt instead of praise, yet the purpose that knowledge of His will must spread abroad still stood, so God brought oppressors and scattered them captive among nations where in affliction many repented and sought the Lord and spread knowledge of the true God. When principles of divine law conflicted with national customs and idolaters tried to crush true faith, in providence Daniel, Nehemiah and Ezra were brought face to face with kings and rulers to give idolaters opportunity to receive light, so work neglected in prosperity at home was done in captivity under trial and embarrassment. That charge connects with the surrounding prophecy where Gentiles come to the light and kings to its brightness while darkness covers earth and deep darkness the people and the Lord's glory rises and is seen upon His people, for Israel was to make God's light and salvation known to all peoples and the principles revealed through them were meant to restore God's moral image in humanity, a mission now laid on workers through whom His glory is revealed.

Christ's work of bringing light to the nations began with His first advent as the Sun of Righteousness rising in glory upon God's people amid earth's spiritual darkness, and will be renewed in the final work closing this world's history when He will shine gloriously upon His people. As the third angel's message swells into a loud cry its proclamation will be attended with great power and glory, and God's people will shine with heaven's light while spiritual darkness covers earth and people.

Amid this moral darkness of present wickedness and abominations enveloping the world including the professed Christian world, which depresses God's people till they sigh and cry, wickedness does not yet break forth in decided violence against righteousness and truth because four angels hold the four winds that they blow not on the earth until God's servants are sealed in their foreheads. Meanwhile human passions reach a high pass and the Lord's Spirit is withdrawn, and God commands angelic agencies to control satanic agencies seeking to break loose and destroy, without which there would be no hope, while light must shine in clear distinct rays and God's people must not be ignorant of prophecies nor wise in own conceit lest blindness come and they stumble and dishonor God by unbelief instead of representing truth as in Jesus.

In the final worldwide crisis faithful people who have not bowed to false worship will shine like stars in that spiritual darkness, showing an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to God's law through noble Godlike characters of blameless faithful trust. This witness grows clearer in deep apostasy when people are pressured under threat of death to show allegiance to a false day of rest, and the darker the time and crisis the more brightly the faithful shine as enemies suppress truth and promote a false Sabbath, demanding urgent work by those who know truth to win people to Christ and bring them to obey God's law.

Church Called to Shine

The verse lays its charge on God's people, on churches and on leaders, to get up and shine because their light has come and the Lord's glory has risen upon them and is seen upon them while deep darkness covers the earth and the people. That rising draws Gentiles and kings to their light, and it is made visible against the surrounding darkness through humble walk with God, personal piety and good works. The promise belongs to those who know the truth and diligently search the Scriptures, for the Holy Spirit comes upon them to present truth so simply that old and young, learned and unlearned understand and receive spirit and life. When truth sanctifies the church it produces humility, meekness, self-denial and surrender, the Holy Spirit is imparted, and the church lives for Christ rather than for itself in a manner consistent with arising and shining.

The church is the repository of gospel truth and the agency through which God's light shines in clear, distinct rays, with the Lord's glory revealed in blameless, sincere, righteous lives that draw Gentiles and kings. The call means revival and reformation for spiritual progress, with revival as new life and new power put into the soul. God's people have lost their first love, and unless they repent, confess sins, reform and return, the candlestick will be removed out of its place. As they draw nigh to Him He draws nigh to them and works with mighty power even when Satan seems to have all power, rebuking them to humble them and lead them to seek His face, then answering, strengthening reformatory action, lifting a standard against the enemy, resting blessing upon them and shining heaven's light from them in bright rays so that multitudes not of their faith see God with them and unite for safety.

Heeding the verse requires studying Isaiah 50-58 and 60-65, heeding reproofs, making thorough consecration to God, warning the people as to what is truth, and stopping complaining and every evil work. Heeding and accepting Isaiah 60 brings understanding of Isaiah 60-61 and lets Isaiah 62-65 speak decisively, with the Lord manifesting His power in conviction and conversion when ways not wholly on the Lord's side are put away through coming nigh, repenting and being converted. The same charge sends the work forward at home and in distant lands, entering new fields and occupying new territory and uniting to sow gospel seed, each doing his appointed specialty. Ministers are not to linger over long-established churches after truth has been preached but to move on into new fields, pleading for power and grace without trusting self, assured that Christ and heavenly angels unite with them.

The glory is given for a work that must not be one-sided, leaving duties in the Southern field undone while much is done for outcasts in large cities. The work must move more solidly and occupy higher ground, with restitution to the Southern field not only of withheld money but of due sympathy, prayers, means and encouragement to workers in that most unpromising portion of the vineyard, where unreasonable prejudice makes the field seem closed yet leaves work enough for those who take hold, and where the Lord alone can work in America with and through all who give up their own will and way and submit to the Holy Spirit. This means carrying the work in God's ordained way by sustaining poverty-stricken foreign mission fields instead of using up all available means on defective and expensive slum work in Chicago and medical work the world would largely do, keeping the health-restorative gospel never separated from the ministry of the Word after Christ's example in restoring suffering humanity, and staying wide awake to prepare the way for Christ's second coming. While mist and fog of error cover the earth, young men and young women with Bible in hand are to be the Lord's light-bearers, leaving places where they are held and entering new places to flash truth into darkness in evangelical soul-saving, instead of having talent and capability absorbed in restaurant work and food preparation that gives little benefit to the poor and shows few souls saved.

In this darkness the verse calls God's people to awake, proclaim the message for this time, and let its light reach others, so that when the spirit of the third angel's message takes hold a work pleasing to God will be done. As the church arises with God's glory rising upon her, darkness recedes before earnest, persevering missionary work. That work brings spiritual health, zeal, gladness and increased membership, with success proportionate to wholehearted, consecrated effort.

Bearing Light to World

Amid darkness covering the earth and gross darkness covering the people, the Lord rises upon His people and His glory is seen upon them and in them, exposing the moral darkness and making truth visible in their lives. That light shines as personal piety, humble walking with God, and good works that lead others to glorify God, for when truth sanctifies the church it produces humility, meekness, self-denial and surrender, the Holy Spirit is imparted, and the church lives for Christ rather than for itself. Christ, the outshining of the Father's glory and the light of the world, revealed God by doing good and bringing healing, deliverance and freedom when anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and His disciples are commissioned to continue that work so their good works shine before others. The light of truth brought into the heart forms character for eternal life and humble walking with God to the glory of the Lord.

Believers become a light to the world by reflecting Christ's love, and beholding that love elevates thought, purifies the heart and transforms character. The light of God's glory revealed in Christ shines through those who live in close communion with Him, and connected with the Light of the world and receiving the Saviour's grace they reflect that light through lives that show the truth's power and Christlike love. Looking to Jesus in worldwide darkness lets people catch the light of His countenance and reflect His image, growing into maturity in Christ as a present duty near the end. Those whose lives are hidden with Christ in God are to represent Him in character, and those who look to Jesus will shine in His light and trust in the Lord rather than dwell on the dark side.

The true light of God's truth is to be proclaimed in contrast with error, as the sacred light of God's Word to illumine all nations. It is the truth of the living God appearing against error, with every obstacle to the redemption of God's people removed by the opening of His Word and the presentation of the plain Thus saith the Lord. Shining the light means proclaiming the glad tidings that a Saviour gave His life so that all who repent and believe should not perish but have everlasting life. In this setting the light and glory are connected with carrying truth to the world through the church's witness and the publication and circulation of its books. Those publications carry rays of truth into spiritual darkness to bless the whole world and penetrate its darkness like sunlight.

The glory is revealed when Christians living in great centers of commerce and travel labor quietly and humbly near home pointing always to Christ, and when messengers stand in the great thoroughfares of travel, large cities, health resorts and tourist centers to meet people from all parts of the world. They sow the gospel seed, rescue truth from companionship with error and present it in original simplicity and clearness, giving the third angel's message as a worldwide message to all cities and villages and in the highways and byways, accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. Workers filled with the love of Christ and the outpouring of His Spirit make mighty intercession, consecrate themselves to God to stand in the judgment, refuse to sleep and use every facility of Providence, and a convincing power attends their proclamation of the last warning and present truth so that those who know it not hear, accept and carry it to their homes in all parts of the earth, with the assurance that Christ is with them even unto the end of the world. This light is also shared by instructing people and explaining the truths of God's Word, including the Sabbath truth, so that souls may be saved.

In the last days God's people reflect the light Christ brought into the world by sharing knowledge of God's Word with people once in ignorance and reaching nations eager for instruction about God. The Light of the world reflected in faithful servants shines through united gospel and healing work, so people see hope of salvation, receive its healing light, become light-bearers to others, and the world is prepared for Christ's second advent. They do this by letting light shine before men in good works that lead others to glorify the Father, by revealing in daily life the pure principles of His Word as witnesses for God, and thus becoming the Lord's medical missionaries whose practice harmonizes with profession and whose lives are fragrant with Christlike love. They are to be light-bearers carrying heaven's light to those in darkness, reflecting light from the Source of light, and holding God's standard before the world by teaching and example, including through sanitarium principles and health journals to bring hope, healing and preparation for His advent. If they refuse to follow the light God gives, it becomes darkness to them and they are lost in the surrounding darkness, and following Satan's false standard leads to misery, degradation, disease and death for body and soul.

The church is to arise and carry divine light into the dark world, revealing God's glory through Christlike love and personal work in homes and among individuals. That light must shine among the people of the world, not by copying the world or withdrawing from it, and Christian love for one another is essential to fellowship and to loving those for whom Christ died. Ministers who receive light from heaven bring it to people surrounded by darkness. Christian principles shine through teachers and students as light amid darkness as they work together for the recovery of the world. The promise that Gentiles and kings are drawn to the light means the Holy Spirit will come upon those who diligently search the Scriptures, presenting truth through them in language so simple that old and young, learned and unlearned can understand it, giving spirit and life.

The Lord arises upon His believing people and His glory is seen upon them, lighting their faces and flooding hearts and minds with light from the threshold of heaven. It comes when they draw nigh to Him and He draws nigh to them and works with all His mighty power to accomplish His gracious purposes even when Satan seems to have all power. It comes when they close the windows earthward and open them heavenward, praising God with thanksgiving and gladness and talking of the power of the Almighty instead of the power of Satan, trusting His full and free promises. It means revival as new life and new power put into the soul, and reformation for spiritual progress, for God's people have lost their first love and unless they repent and confess their sins the candlestick will be removed. As they reform and His love revives in their hearts He answers, strengthens them in reformatory action, lifts up a standard against the enemy, rests His blessings upon them, and shines heaven's light from them in bright rays, and then a multitude not of their faith, seeing that God is with His people, will unite with them and be safe in God's presence and power.

Because many are now far from Christ, wandering in the wilderness of sin as strangers from the covenant of promise, God's people must wake up, shake off careless indifference, commune with Him until imbued with His Spirit, and take up their long-neglected work first in their families and then beyond their families to others who need help, bestowing on those in need the grace they have received and laboring with unceasing activity. Arising and shining because light has come and the Lord's glory has risen means cleansing from all evil and from hardheartedness and selfishness in the church and institutions and doing a great work on a much higher plane than in the past as channels through which the Lord communicates His grace. In moral darkness where false doctrines, heresies and Satanic deceptions mislead people, presenting truth without the Holy Spirit and God's power is futile, and the darkness makes the Spirit's power necessary for presenting truth effectively. Joined to the call to arise and shine because light is come, there is work for everyone in cooperation with God, consecrating heart and mind to His service, doing the work He has to be done and walking in the footsteps of Jesus. Holy intelligences wait to work through such consecrated workers, their hearts become sacred harps sending forth praise and thanksgiving to the Lamb sent by God to take away the sins of the world, and Gentiles and kings come to this light and to the brightness of its rising, while meeting the darkness also calls for God's help including the aid of angels as the solemn warning is shared and truth proclaimed.

Promise Warning and Hope

The verse is a glorious promise to be fulfilled, to be kept in mind with enlarged faith and expectation. While darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, the Lord arises upon His people and His glory is seen upon them, drawing Gentiles to their light and kings to the brightness of their rising and gathering sons from far and daughters to the side. It gives blessed assurance from the living God, not from human claims.

It gives inspiration and encouragement to take part in God's work in the earth, entering new fields and occupying new territory and uniting in sowing the gospel seed, each doing his appointed work as a specialty. Ministers are not to linger over long-established churches but to move on after the truth has been preached and enter new fields, assured that Christ and heavenly angels will unite with those who do not trust in self but plead with the Lord for His power and grace to be manifested. God in compassion delays His judgments upon an impenitent world so His light-bearers can seek and save the lost and enlighten those groping in error amid present error, infidelity, apostasy and unbelief. He calls His church to awake from lethargy and fulfill its heaven-appointed work of enlightening the world by cooperating with Him in shedding abroad the light of Bible truth, and to those who faithfully do their part as bearers of precious light He arises upon them and His glory is seen upon them, drawing others to their light. Believers who believe in Jesus and obey His words are lights in the world whose light comes directly from Jesus, and as their light spreads more people are added, while when it dims or goes out heaven is saddened, and their witness holds back God's judgments against those who break His law.

When God's people draw nigh to Him He draws nigh to them and works with all His mighty power to accomplish His gracious purposes even when Satan seems to have all power, and the verse means revival as new life and new power put into the soul and reformation for spiritual progress. God rebukes His people for their sins to humble them and lead them to seek His face because they have lost their first love, and unless they repent and confess their sins the candlestick will be removed out of its place. As they reform and His love revives in their hearts He answers, strengthens them in reformatory action, lifts up a standard against the enemy, rests His blessings upon them, and shines the light of heaven from them in bright rays, and then a multitude not of their faith, seeing that God is with His people, will unite with them and be safe in God's presence and power. Despite Satan's deceptions in the final conflict, the Lord will display converting power through the Holy Spirit, and the gospel message will go out with power, bringing many to conversion.

If those who know the truth do not work earnestly to make it widely known, God will raise up other workers acting in the spirit of John the Baptist, for the Holy Spirit can speak and will speak to human hearts and minds and those God chooses are taught by Him. Believers have barred the way and limited God by lack of faith, so where one is at work there should be hundreds with a hundredfold more power as doers of the Word. If God's people refuse to follow and walk in given light, that light becomes darkness to them and they are lost in surrounding darkness. They must keep that light and its high standard before the world by teaching and example, for their great spiritual privileges bring a duty of obedience, and following Satan's false standard leads to misery, degradation, disease, and death for body and soul. When the church has received great light it is in peril if it does not walk in that light, for darkness can cloud its vision until it regards light as darkness and darkness as light, and it is to arise and shine by living humbly and obeying the Word so the world can see that believers have been with Jesus.

Christ bought the church with His own blood to clothe her with salvation and to make her share His glory as keeper of sacred, holy truth. He has again and again sent His Spirit to change His people by putting a living, working life in the church, and has opened the windows of heaven to send rich floods of light to the world. That light and the power and rich grace He longs to give are rejected when unconsecrated influences rock the church to sleep in carnal security and when people will not receive God's working unless they can mark out for themselves the way He must work. Accusatory messages against God's commandment-keeping people spread in this time are false and filled with darkness, not light, while God is calling them to arise and shine with His glory risen and seen upon them. Amid darkness God's faithful remain children of light and can rejoice because redemption is near, with Zion shining with penetrating light and assemblies filled with songs of thanksgiving and praise.

God has not left His suffering loyal commandment-keeping saints to perish, and they are to reveal Him to a sinful world by special care for those convicted and converted who have the moral courage to accept truth, lose work, and suffer for the Sabbath. This requires a fund and large, open, generous help for worthy poor families who love God and keep His commandments rather than diverting means to the unworthy and disobedient. The verse means ministry of the Word that takes hold of heart and character to beautify and elevate and ennoble individuality, with every church giving a true line of education in all points and the trumpet giving a certain sound proclaiming the gospel message for this time. Variety of talent and diversity of instrumentalities are united like branches of the true vine in the great missionary work of building up and restoration in divine lines, calling for sharp, strong messages and for sons of consolation, for carrying the message of the third angel and uplifting the banner of truth, for conversion is in it because the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Those who allow God to lead them see light from Him amid moral darkness and evil, and God gives them power to overcome so right triumphs over wrong, with His light bringing life, joy, and strength. The Lord's light shining amid the darkness of the last days can dispel some of the gloom caused by sinful indulgences and lessen the evils resulting from intemperate eating and drinking. Against the spiritual darkness covering the multitudes who receive the warning that Christ is soon coming, the work of believers is pictured as small lights that kindle other lights and spread until the whole world is illuminated.